I found the Adam Russell tidbit to be interesting as well. The kid is a beast, but aren't they exaggerating about his fastball? I remember watching scouting video of him back in college and he was throwing in the low 90's. As big as he was back then I find it hard to believe that he's added a couple of ticks since then.

caulfield12

02-26-2007, 12:36 PM

I found the Adam Russell tidbit to be interesting as well. The kid is a beast, but aren't they exaggerating about his fastball? I remember watching scouting video of him back in college and he was throwing in the low 90's. As big as he was back then I find it hard to believe that he's added a couple of ticks since then.

Perhaps he's changed his shoulder/arm slot/angle and has found a way to get an added 1-3 MPH on his fastball?

caulfield12

02-26-2007, 12:40 PM

I found the Adam Russell tidbit to be interesting as well. The kid is a beast, but aren't they exaggerating about his fastball? I remember watching scouting video of him back in college and he was throwing in the low 90's. As big as he was back then I find it hard to believe that he's added a couple of ticks since then.

http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/pl/452/452240logp06.html

He was pretty consistently between 4-6 K's per game, a few times he struck out 7, but if he was throwing significantly harder last year, it wasn't showing up in his strikeout numbers.

Same thing with the AFL, 12.3 IP and 8 K's.

rdivaldi

02-26-2007, 12:43 PM

Perhaps he's changed his shoulder/arm slot/angle and has found a way to get an added 1-3 MPH on his fastball?

Hmm, I dunno. Changing your mechanics can add (or subtract) velocity so I can see where you are coming from. I guess I'll have to watch carefully this spring to see if there any differences since the last time I saw him pitch.

It's crazy how you can't read a White Sox article about pitching without the mention of radar gun readings. Very, very different than years past.

maurice

02-26-2007, 01:03 PM

Perhaps he's changed his shoulder/arm slot/angle and has found a way to get an added 1-3 MPH on his fastball?

Unlikely. Russell didn't change his primary arm angle. He always threw from over the top, but now he drops down on occasion.

I haven't seen him in about a year, but I doubt he's added 3 MPH to his FB. I'll probably get to see him again in the next 3 months and will report back.

caulfield12

02-26-2007, 01:19 PM

Hmm, I dunno. Changing your mechanics can add (or subtract) velocity so I can see where you are coming from. I guess I'll have to watch carefully this spring to see if there any differences since the last time I saw him pitch.

It's crazy how you can't read a White Sox article about pitching without the mention of radar gun readings. Very, very different than years past.

I think you can attribute that to all the radar gun readings on our bullpen....Jenks, Thornton, MacDougal, Masset, Aardsma and Sisco. It's definitely not due to the starting rotation.

And, the pitchers that have been highlighted so far by OG or Cooper (Masset, Gio, Broadway, Russell), the comments have been almost exclusively on their fastballs and stuff/movement.

We haven't had many true power pitchers in the last five years...Danny Wright before he was hurt, Kip Wells, Purvis, Wyatt Allen, Stumm, Brian West...the majority of our pitchers have been "finesse" fastball pitchers, like Buehrle, Garland, Ginter, Guerrier, Malone, Rauch and McCarthy (that typically throw 88-93 MPH).

Felix Diaz and Jon Adkins were hyped as "stuff" pitchers with plus fastballs, but they must have left their heat with their prior teams.

rdivaldi

02-26-2007, 01:20 PM

Unlikely. Russell didn't change his primary arm angle. He always threw from over the top, but now he drops down on occasion.

I haven't seen him in about a year, but I doubt he's added 3 MPH to his FB. I'll probably get to see him again in the next 3 months and will report back.

That would be greatly appreciated maurice. I hope that a lot of the young guys get in the televised ST games, my TiVo is primed and ready to go.

rdivaldi

02-26-2007, 01:22 PM

I think you can attribute that to all the radar gun readings on our bullpen....Jenks, Thornton, MacDougal, Masset, Aardsma and Sisco. It's definitely not due to the starting rotation.

And, the pitchers that have been highlighted so far by OG or Cooper (Masset, Gio, Broadway, Russell), the comments have been almost exclusively on their fastballs and stuff/movement.

We haven't had many true power pitchers in the last five years...Danny Wright before he was hurt, Kip Wells, Purvis, Wyatt Allen, Stumm, Brian West...the majority of our pitchers have been "finesse" fastball pitchers, like Buehrle, Garland, Ginter, Guerrier, Malone, Rauch and McCarthy (that typically throw 88-93 MPH).

Felix Diaz and Jon Adkins were hyped as "stuff" pitchers with plus fastballs, but they must have left their heat with their prior teams.

Yep and I'll ask the same question I've been asking since December, "Are we witnessing a philosophical change in the way the White Sox scout/draft/develop pitchers?"

KRS1

02-26-2007, 02:08 PM

I found the Adam Russell tidbit to be interesting as well. The kid is a beast, but aren't they exaggerating about his fastball? I remember watching scouting video of him back in college and he was throwing in the low 90's. As big as he was back then I find it hard to believe that he's added a couple of ticks since then.

It could very well just be some simple adjusting of mechanics, don't sell short what going from college to pro baseball instructors and coaches can do for a young player. He could have learned to use his whole body together better, and being in sink can add a good amount of everything to you're pitches.

rdivaldi

02-26-2007, 02:23 PM

It could very well just be some simple adjusting of mechanics, don't sell short what going from college to pro baseball instructors and coaches can do for a young player. He could have learned to use his whole body together better, and being in sink can add a good amount of everything to you're pitches.

I could see that happening. He definitely has the frame to put some power behind the ball.

Randar68

02-27-2007, 04:41 PM

Yep and I'll ask the same question I've been asking since December, "Are we witnessing a philosophical change in the way the White Sox scout/draft/develop pitchers?"

I think you are seeing that manifest itself in the deals Kenny made in the last 6 months.

Power arms to give more K's and guys with power sink to keep the ball on the ground in USCF aka Coors East.

rdivaldi

02-27-2007, 08:51 PM

I think you are seeing that manifest itself in the deals Kenny made in the last 6 months.

Power arms to give more K's and guys with power sink to keep the ball on the ground in USCF aka Coors East.

So you're convinced that there's going to be a shift in philosophy? Very, very interesting. Makes me even more curious about the upcoming draft.

Randar68

03-02-2007, 10:05 AM

So you're convinced that there's going to be a shift in philosophy? Very, very interesting. Makes me even more curious about the upcoming draft.

A switch in philosophy in what they're looking for in their major league pitchers. That being said, it will be curious to see if that correlates with how they draft. KW has been in "draft to trade" mode for a couple years now. If you're drafting to trade, you want polished pitchers that are going to put up big numbers in their first year or 2 up to AA ball.